Monolith M-12 V2 12-Inch THX Certified Ultra 500 Watt Powered Subwoofer - Low Distortion, High Power Output, Vented HDF Cabinet, RCA and XLR Inputs, for Home Theater Systems, Black Ash Finish

Build quality, check. Sound quality, check. This Monolith subwoofer is a behemoth. Set up of sub easy breezy. I am very pleased with my purchase. I received the newest version with rounded edges vs. being chamfered. The rounded edges are more streamlined in appearance. The only caveat that I find disconcerting is that you cannot register the subwoofer product w/ Monoprice. Most consumer purchased products offer the ability to register that product w/ the manufacturer. That aside, this is the nicest sub I've owned, and I've been doing home theater since the 80's. This sub replaces a Velodyne 12 inch subwoofer. Velodyne is a well made, well known brand that had subsonic lows.

I replaced a cheap Dayton Audio 12" ported subwoofer with this recently and the difference is night and day. First off, this thing is very heavy and huge so make sure you have measured the space you want to put it in. Once I found the optimal location, I was blown away. It shakes my walls during movies and I can feel it in my couch. I was contemplating this or the SVS PB 12", but I went with this when it was on sale and I am not disappointed. I plan on adding a 2nd one when it goes on sale again.

The media could not be loaded. This sub performs well. It's pretty enormous. Nice flat response, not boomy. If you want to stack your gear on top like I did, grab some Sorbothane feet.

The build quality and sound are very good. It's big and heavy, both good features for a subwoofer. I upgraded from RCA to XLR and the sound improved. I put it on SVS Soundpath feet and the sound improved. I put it on a plinth and put the plinth on cork/rubber absorbers, and the sound improved. That last one is probably only necessary on a wood floor. However, I regret buying it. I should have bought 2 10" subs. With a single sub, you get standing waves at certain spots in the room, which makes the volume inconsistent. And I don't really want to use the floor space for another one of these beasts.Edit: I have a complaint. It does not auto-power-on easily enough. I sometimes have to turn up the music to get it to come on, and then I can turn it back down. Also, I had to RMA this sub after a year and a half because it kept going into "protection mode" where it would stop operation until you reset it. Sometimes even a working unit goes into protection mode when there is a bad signal, but it needs to reset on its own after a short time. You have to manually reset it, which takes a couple of minutes. For all these reasons, I can no longer recommend it.

So, when I was researching subwoofers, and looking for the one I wanted to buy to use in my home, I know that I really wished - seeing as I was going to be dropping some significant $ on whatever I ended up choosing, because if you want great reference, theater quality (or better) video/sound in your home, it's going to cost you - that there had been a review posted with some pics of the different subs I was looking at. Not computer generated graphic images with breakdowns of the units and their components, but actual pics that I could look at, in order to be able to gauge the quality and real-world look/aesthetic that the units I was considering might bring into my home. Unfortunately, manufacturers, no matter how good they are, all know, that the real-world look of their finished products, and the nice and neat computer generated images of them, are two completely different things. Computer generated images of this type of stuff, always shows the unit as a perfectly asymbled piece of kit, that looks, well, just that... Perfect. Everything is in it's place, there's never any missing this, or that, never too much silicone here, or a missing screw there. Unfortunately, no matter how much you spend, and no matter who we are talking about company-wise (be it Monolith/Monoprice, SVS, HSU, RSL, KEF, whoever you may bring into the conversation... The sub that you receive upon delivery, when opened and inspected - especially if you disassemble it - is going to be a far cry from what you saw in any computer generated (auto-cad) images you may have seen on the manufacturers website. This does not mean that you have received a piece of junk, it's just the trade-off between a computer generated image, and an actual product coming off of a factory line, which was mostly built by machines, but some human hands were involved as well, and at the end of the day, we humans still program the machines to do whatever it is that they do for us. That said, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is EVER going to come out looking perfect.With all that said, I will say FWIW, that this subwoofer - in spite of it's seemingly ever-growing list of "cons" - certainly does perform very well, and at the end of the day, that is what matters most. Still, given my own personal experience with upgrading my home theater in the past year, to include the Pioneer Elite VSX LX505 A/V receiver, an Integra DTA 70.1 multi-channel integrated amplifier (to power the 9 channels of my 5.1.4 system, which initially was 7.1.4 when I first purchased the Pioneer Elite receiver, until I caught a deal on the Integra amplifier, at which point I came to realize the undeniable effect of owning a separate, powerful, and capable amplifier(s) for use in powering one's speakers... There is no denying the indefinite value here. I cannot adequately state the true difference owning my separate power amplifier has made in our home theater experience. If you are upgrading your home theater, I would strongly suggest making sure you purchase an AVR that has pre-outs, so that in the future, should you choose to, you are able to upgrade your setup to include separates - which are just speakers powered by an amplifier which is separate from the AVR itself. Not only does this ensure that you get more power in general, but also, more consistent power to your speakers, which works wonders for the overall sound-stage - if you want to know more about how/why, just do a little research, or better yet, buy yourself a 2 channel amp, and see the difference it makes in your front L & R mains, after which, you will without a doubt, go and purchase another amp large enough to power the remainder of your speakers, after you have seen the difference it makes - but also makes a huge difference in regard to the longevity of your AVR in general, by removing the additional strain on the unit, of having to power all of your speakers along with processing the surround sound in the first place. Processing the sound, will create heat, but minimal heat. Inside an AVR, it is the amplifiers for each audio channel your AVR is supporting/powering which creates the most heat within any given unit. And most manufacturers do not include internal fans within their units in order to help dissipate heat that builds up inside of them. It is up to each consumer to purchase separate devices designed to assist in cooling should they find it necessary. Many brands like Denon for example, are notorious for manufacturing AVRs that wind up producing quite a bit of heat.), an AC Infinity cooling unit to go on top of each unit - which you can see in one of the pics I included with this review - a SONY UBPX700-M 4K Bluray Disc Player (which also plays any SACDs, or High Fidelity music that one may wish to play via USB. But the Pioneer Elite Receiver will do this as well.), this Monolith M12 V2 "500w" (900w dynamic/peak) 12 inch powered subwoofer, Monolith Encore Series T6 tower speakers (x2) (Front L & R Mains), Monolith Encore Series C6 Center Channel Speaker, and Monolith Encore Series B5 Bookshelf Speakers (x8... as originally, I was running 7.1.4, powered by the receiver, and an additional Russound P75 2 channel integrated amplifier to handle the Surround Back L & R channels. As the Pioneer Elite VSX LX505 will process 11 channels of audio, but is only capable of internally powering 9 of those 11 channels... Since purchasing the Integra DTA 70.1 nine channel integrated power amplifier - which is THX Ultra II certified (their highest certification) - and recognizing the difference in sound when my speakers are powered by 300w @ 4 ohms of consistent, readily available power per channel, I have ditched the Russound P75 - which is only capable of producing 75w x 2 channels @ 4 ohms, so couldn't hope to keep up with the power of the Integra - and am no longer using my receiver to power any of my channels, as it is only capable of around 200w per channel @ 4 ohms, and that is the rating at 2 channels driven. With ALL 9 channels being powered by the AVR, I was only getting about 75w to 85w per channel, which actually did power all my 4 ohms Monolith Encore Series speakers without any problems or real strain to speak of on the AVR. However, as you could imagine, the difference that I experience when powering my speakers with 300w of pure, consistent power from my Integra DTA 70.1 multi channel amplifier, is beyond significant. That said, I ultimately decided to ditch our Surround Back channels all together, because the system just sounds so much better, even dropping back down to 5.1.4 from 7.1.4, when all the channels available are being powered by the separate amplifier.If you are even half well versed in up to date home theater devices and equipment, you can pretty well imagine that this upgrade has taken our home theater to a whole nother level. This was a system-wide upgrade, including every aspect of our home theater. Additionally, I purchased two LG OLED televisions. One 65 inch LG C2 OLED for the main home theater display. And a separate 42 inch LG LG C3 OLED as a secondary display, which I use for my PC monitor, but it is connected to HDMI 2.1 switches, which allow me to connect it to my XBOX Series X and Playstation 5 gaming consoles, in the event I feel like playing one or the other, while someone else is watching the home theater. I have purchased a secondary stereo amplifier, and connected the 2 leftover Encore Series B5 bookshelf speakers, along with a 10 inch Monolith powered subwoofer, to my PC/secondary gaming setup. Additionally, I also have a Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset for XBOX, which allows me to have an audio option connected to both the XBOX and PS5 (via USB) and the PC (via Bluetooth) that is all but completely isolated from the other larger home theater system. These are a fantastic over-ear headset, that is wireless, and provides great passive noise cancellation via the earcups that seal one's ears off from outside sound/noise, but they also have active noise cancellation as well, and with this engaged, this headset is capable of providing an all together AWESOME sound-stage for not only gaming, but also streaming YouTube - for music and random videos - or anything else I may want to watch or listen to. As a whole, this system has provided me with the very first system which is basically equal to, or surpasses, what I always dreamed about owning some day in my lifetime, but never thought I actually would.No matter which way I am connected to either the video or the audio on this system, no matter what we are watching, or listening to, it always looks and sounds absolutely phenomenal. And this Monolith M12 V2 subwoofer, without a doubt, plays a huge part in the overall equation of what goes into creating the feeling of absolute immersion that is experienced any time that I, or we, as a family, sit down to watch a movie, or cable television, or listen to music, or, my personal favorite, whenever I, or my kids get onto this system to play some games. It is the gaming, in truth, which was responsible for this gigantic upgrade taking place to start with. I got a great deal on an XBOX Series X, back during the chip shortage, on Craigslist, and after purchasing that console, I began to research what would be necessary to purchase, in order to provide us with the very best experience while gaming on this console. This research is what led me to discover the most recent HDMI 2.1 devices (which are now prevalent, and can be found everywhere, but a year ago, or two even, well, the same could not be said...), and what started this whole lapse of sanity I experienced.At any rate, at the end of the day, I really have enjoyed owning this subwoofer, and it really does perform well. It absolutely produces beyond satisfactory LFE channel effects, as well as awesome sub-low end frequencies when listening to our favorite music.What I don't like, is, I just yesterday decided to finally dismantle the enclosure, in an effort to see for myself just what all is inside this behemoth of a powered subwoofer. And in doing so, I came to find a few things that I was not so pleased with. Which, 1st and foremost, wound up being the driver itself, which could not have left me more surprised, as the computer generated images on the Monolith/Monoprice website, show it as being an awesome, huge looking driver. And indeed, it IS! When I took things apart yesterday, I found a massive driver that I thought looked awesome. The problem was, when I noticed the model number (as this driver is a proprietary Monolith/Monoprice item, which they make themselves, for use with their subs... This is nothing unusual. As a matter of fact, it's pretty standard practice. However, upon seeing this sticker upon the driver, I could not help but to clearly notice the fact that it labled the driver as being a 300 watt driver... If you'll recall the advertising literature, both here on Amazon, and on the Monolith/Monoprice website, as well as EBAY's website as too... They all have this clearly listed as being a 500w RMS subwoofer, and 900+ watts dynamic/peak... Well, I hate to be the bearer of negative, and obvious news here... But 300w, does not ever amount to 500w, and most certainly not 900+ watts!! Last time I checked, 300w is 300w, plain and simple... So when I pay just short of $1000 - that's right, 1000, as in A GRAND - for a powered subwoofer - or any other item for that matter - I most certainly never expect to open the unit up, and to witness with my own two eyes, the fact that there is a driver, clearly labeled as being a 300w driver, inside the enclosure, where there should by all accounts, and based upon every bit of research I conducted on a great deal of my own valuable time, be a 500w driver MINIMUM!!! Seeing that 300w label on the driver just really rubbed me the wrong way. Especially after I had already received the unit from Monolith/Monoprice damaged to begin with! You can clearly see one of the corners of the enclosure, which came exactly as it can easily be seen in the pic I included, to my home. And upon contacting Monoprice in regard to that issue, I was told that my only option, was to completely re-pack the item, and return it. Now.... We're talking about a 100+ pound unit here! Not to mention the fact that it is HUGE to boot! So re-packing the unit, and then getting it into our vehicle, and then taking it back out, in order to drop it off at our local FedEx store location, in order to send it back... Needless to say, would be no easy task. So I tried to see if it would be possible for them to provide me with a 20%, or even 15 or 10% discount/refund in an effort to reimburse me for the damage to the unit I received, which was supposed to have been am un-used, un-damaged, brand new powered subwoofer! Not to mention the fact, that such a return process, would have seen me sitting and waiting for anywhere from one to two full weeks, for the unit I would've been returning, to make it from VA to California, and then for the new (hopefully un-used, un-damaged) subwoofer to make it back to me. And all that time, the near $1000 of my money that I had just spent, would have been up in the air, and doing absolutely NOTHING for me/us! This was not acceptable to me. And as if that was not bad enough... Initially, the customer service representative I had been dealing with, had expected ME to pay for the return shipping on this 100+ lbs item! No f'n WAY that was happening! So in the end, I expressed my frustration and irritation, and declined returning the device I had received, and I just chose to keep the damaged unit I had received, as I had already lost any trust I had for them as a company who might actually HELP me with any issues I may encounter with this very expensive product I had purchased from them. Additionally, I had 3 of the 8 Encore B5 bookshelf speakers that I purchased, which I ended up having to send back for replacement! So, to top all that experience off... I opened the enclosure up yesterday, to find a 300w driver installed into it!Needless to say, I LOVE our home theater! And it sounds great! However... I will NEVER... And I mean, not EVER, trust Monolith/Monoprice with my hard earned money ever again! When it comes time to upgrade again in the future - which I do not see happening for a long long time - I will choose ANY brand other than Monolith/Monoprice, to spend my money on, or with! And as awesome as my system does sound... I cannot feel good about suggesting that ANYONE else trust them with their money either! There are plenty of other companies out there now, manufacturing powered subwoofers and speakers that can compete with, or, are even better than what Monolith/Monoprice has to offer. If I had it to do again... Me personally... I'd go for an RSL Speedwoofer 12S.

What can I say? Even at its full MSRP it's already considered an excellent subwoofer by all the audio reviewers; I managed to get one on sale at $670, at that price it's simply unbeatable... it was actually cheaper than the MSRP of its small sibling, the M-10 V2 (which I returned just to hop onboard the sale for the M-12)